10 Ways College Students Can Save Money

Utah colleges are so expensive it hurts. Yet, higher education is a must in order to survive on this blue-green planet. Help ease the pain by swallowing these little pills: ten economic, penny-pinching ways to save money during college.

1

DO NOT buy textbooks at the campus bookstore.

They are egregiously overpriced. It is much cheaper to buy all the books required for your classes online through Amazon.com or CampusBooks.com.

2

Buy your textbooks used and then sell them back at the semester’s end.

At Chegg.com you can even rent your books for a time and then ship them back when you’re done. Now that is economical and a great way to save a buck (that will eventually get dumped down the Utah college tuition drain).

Buy things you use the most in bulk.

Make a grocery list and STICK TO IT.

Don’t impulse-buy! And don’t shop hungry. That’s a monetary accident waiting to happen. Remember: you attend a Utah college for the sake of improving your mind and eventually achieving greatness! You can’t afford that candy bar right now.

6

If you live close to campus, walk.

If not, carpool with a roommate, classmate, professor, whatever. Consider even taking the bus. It’s not as bad—or scary—as you might think.

7

Lower your energy bills.

When you’re not in the room, turn off the lights. If it’s in the off mode, unplug it. Need motivation for this one? Think about your ancestors. They didn’t have electricity, yet they lived long enough to have children who had children who had children who had you.

8

Eat out less.

You go to a Utah college now. It’s time to learn how to cook and do it cheaply. Try taking turns with your roommates cooking dinner, and eat together like you would at home with your family. You’ll save money, get a full tummy and have some quality bonding time.

9

Don’t get hit with late fees.

Pay all of your bills on time—especially your credit card bills.

10

Learn to share.

Sharing a room may sound worse than all of the purgatory punishments in Dante’s The Inferno combined, but it’s a lot cheaper than having a private room. Really, it’s not that bad. Your room mate will have their side and you’ll have your side.